How to eat MORE, cleanly, while losing weight.

2013james
2013james Posts: 24
in Food and Nutrition
At the moment I'm struggling to eat as much as MFP and Fitbit suggest without feeling sick or eating junk.

I'm averaging about 2,200 calories per day, most days they suggest I eat 2900 calories.
My average calorie burn is between 3,300 -3600.

I walk about 13,000 steps a day.
I drink anything from 3-6 litres of water (I sweat a lot)

My goal is to lose about 1 pound per week

I Currently weigh 130kg (286p)
My ultimate goal weight is 90kg (198p)
Short term goal is 110kg (242p)
I believe that my weight without all the fat would be about 95kg

I have a significant amount of muscle
I can squat 160kg (352p)...Deadlift 200kg (440p) ...Bench press 125kg (275p)
All of these weights are the maximum I can do safely with my equipment, I can probably lift more.
I'm not actively weight lifting at the moment

My average day of food is:
Breakfast:
oats and skim milk with berries or banana
OR
frozen berry smoothie with milk, oats and crushed LSA mix (linseed/almonds
about 450 calories

Morning snack:
fruit smoothie or nuts or fruit
about 300 calories

Lunch
Sandwich - wholemeal bread, meat (ham, tuna or salmon), lettuce, tomato sometimes a poached egg and cottage cheese
OR pasta with eggs and tuna, vegies
about 350 - 500 calories

afternoon snacks
berry or banana smoothie with 30gm plain whey protein concentrate
handful of almonds
apple
about 420 calories

dinner;
roasted vegetables
steak (about 150gm)
or eggs, fish, chicken breast etc
cottage cheese.
about 430 calories

evening snack
banana smoothie or fruit or almonds
or natural yoghurt with berries
about 300 calories

This usually adds up to 2000 - 2200 calories.
*******************************************************************************

So any suggestions on what to add to this?
I struggle to eat any more for breakfast without feeling too full.

I'm thinking of the following:
change from skim milk to full cream, or half and half (would prefer not to do this)
add a scoop of protein powder to breakfast (125 calories)
eating more nuts (but they make me feel too full)
eat more rice and pasta
have a protein shake at night
drink slightly less water (don't want to do this)

thanks for any advice
Sorry for all those details but I feel they're important to get good advice...

Replies

  • Tanja_CHH
    Tanja_CHH Posts: 216 Member
    Drinking a protein shake before bed would defiantly increase your calories. also adding olive oil to just about anything: cook with it, put it in protein shake, some people even say you can just have a few swigs off it (dont know if its that nice :P)
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Make a more even calorie/ macro split between your meals and snacks, 6x500 is 3000 calories and 500 cals is easy to eat. You should not need six litres of water a day even if you sweat a lot, that is excessive - you need to concentrate on mineral/ electrolyte intake, drinking too much can actually encourage these to be flushed out of the body and you lose a ton in sweat. Carbs and electrolytes help your body hold water, not just drinking a lot.

    I see only a limited amount of mineral rich foods in your diet - eat way more seeds, cocoa powder and canned oily fish with bones, to a lesser extent beans, lentils, nuts. I say seeds because ones like pumpkin and flax more mineral dense than almonds and peanuts. At the moment you are concentrating on protein and produce: cottage cheese and chicken breast are little more than protein, few vitamins or minerals not even calcium.

    Being picky try to eat more vegetables and less fruit, at present you are only eating two savoury meals and four sweet ones with a lot of the same fruits cropping up - bananas and apples are not that nutritious, try to eat more dark and bright coloured produce. Avocado or block creamed coconut are a good substitutes for banana in a smoothie, less sugar more healthy fats. Try to keep supplements like whey to once a day, they are supplements not foods or meal replacements.

    Weights wise, TBH I struggle to believe you can deadlift that sort of weight with good technique I very very rarely see that (work in lifestyle healthcare/ fitness). If you are worried about safety work on your form - many men don't do a full range of movement and lift too fast, aim for a full six second repetition that makes the lift way more intense. Not many men have the flexibility for a quality deadlift or squat, so be sure to keep your chest up, shoulders rolled back, shoulder blades together, spine in it's natural alignment, butt stuck out, heels on the floor at all times, also try lunges (split squats). If you are using a heel support/ lift on squats and deadlifts you are cheating.
  • 2013james
    2013james Posts: 24
    You make some very good points firefox

    water: yes I'm going to drink less.
    vegetables: I intend to eat more.

    never thought of avocado in a smoothie!
    I intend to add a vegetable juice(with fibre) to my breakfast.

    weights: those are my one rep max and I've had my technique checked by several trainers.
    I don't agree that it's an excessive amount to lift safely. check this out (not me) http://ptcfrankston.com/the200club.html
    heck it's less than double body weight. I simply don' t have the weights to do anymore than 200kg.

    thanks again
  • patrnbabe
    patrnbabe Posts: 42
    from your list, it seems your diet is very lean. If you need more calories, try adding some healthy fats.
  • Bobby__Clerici
    Bobby__Clerici Posts: 741 Member
    I'd suggest adding in some burgers, pizza and fried chicken.
    Would this be considered "junk"?
    Maybe you can live off diet food the rest of your life, but I could not.
    It's healthy - for sure :drinker:
    My first impression is that it's just not a diet I'd stick to very long.
    Too much yucky healthy foods...
    Anyway, maybe you're stronger than I am.
    Good Luck To You!
  • mrsjacksn
    mrsjacksn Posts: 113
    bump
  • ALH1981
    ALH1981 Posts: 538 Member
    At the moment I'm struggling to eat as much as MFP and Fitbit suggest without feeling sick or eating junk.

    I'm averaging about 2,200 calories per day, most days they suggest I eat 2900 calories.
    My average calorie burn is between 3,300 -3600.

    I walk about 13,000 steps a day.
    I drink anything from 3-6 litres of water (I sweat a lot)

    My goal is to lose about 1 pound per week

    I Currently weigh 130kg (286p)
    My ultimate goal weight is 90kg (198p)
    Short term goal is 110kg (242p)
    I believe that my weight without all the fat would be about 95kg

    I have a significant amount of muscle
    I can squat 160kg (352p)...Deadlift 200kg (440p) ...Bench press 125kg (275p)
    All of these weights are the maximum I can do safely with my equipment, I can probably lift more.
    I'm not actively weight lifting at the moment

    My average day of food is:
    Breakfast:
    oats and skim milk with berries or banana
    OR
    frozen berry smoothie with milk, oats and crushed LSA mix (linseed/almonds
    about 450 calories

    Morning snack:
    fruit smoothie or nuts or fruit
    about 300 calories

    Lunch
    Sandwich - wholemeal bread, meat (ham, tuna or salmon), lettuce, tomato sometimes a poached egg and cottage cheese
    OR pasta with eggs and tuna, vegies
    about 350 - 500 calories

    afternoon snacks
    berry or banana smoothie with 30gm plain whey protein concentrate
    handful of almonds
    apple
    about 420 calories

    dinner;
    roasted vegetables
    steak (about 150gm)
    or eggs, fish, chicken breast etc
    cottage cheese.
    about 430 calories

    evening snack
    banana smoothie or fruit or almonds
    or natural yoghurt with berries
    about 300 calories

    This usually adds up to 2000 - 2200 calories.
    *******************************************************************************

    So any suggestions on what to add to this?
    I struggle to eat any more for breakfast without feeling too full.

    I'm thinking of the following:
    change from skim milk to full cream, or half and half (would prefer not to do this)
    add a scoop of protein powder to breakfast (125 calories)
    eating more nuts (but they make me feel too full)
    eat more rice and pasta
    have a protein shake at night
    drink slightly less water (don't want to do this)

    thanks for any advice
    Sorry for all those details but I feel they're important to get good advice...

    "My average calorie burn is between 3,300 -3600." <
    that is a HUGE burn - is that your TDEE or your excersise burn daily??? I excersise like crazy and can rearely burn above 300!!! DO you have an HRM? if not, perhaps you should invest in one, you might be overestimating the burn and therefore you might be okay with your cals?
  • Arleigh7
    Arleigh7 Posts: 150 Member
    Hi There....Not sure if my advice will work for you but I've had a somewhat similiar journey in 2012 as I got serious in April when I weighed 267 pounds and my primary excercise was heavy lifting. My best lifts were bench press (110 lb dumbells in each hand for incline press), 140 lb skull crushers for triceps and 215 lb pull downs for back. All at 6 reps. My weight at the end of the year was 207 lbs for a total loss of 60. I've dropped my waist from 44 inches to now just under 36 maybe 35. I've lost a bit of muscle too and just started llifting again after 2 months due to an injury to my shoulder.

    Right now I'm averaging over 17,000 steps a day with my fit bit. Walking and doing an hour a day on the Ellipitcal machine. I've also started doing Pilates which is much harder then I thought but doing wonders for my core.

    For me your diet looks high in carbs and low in protein, vegtables and fiber. I would add a scoop of protein powder to your morning oatmeal. I use Metagenics Bio Pure Protein which is super clean, mixes well and has almost no flavor. 1 scoop is only 50 calories and 16 grams of protein.

    For fruit I would recommend only doing apples and berries. They are low in sugar. Don't do bannana's or other sweeter fruits.

    Stay away from Pasta and Rice. Too many carbs without enough fiber and vitamins.

    Eat green and rough vegetables. I still don't do enough of this but I'm working on it. The more Veges I eat the more weight I seem to lose. I just need to focus on making them more a part of my daily diet.

    Hope this helpls and good luck!

    I think your dinner is great but for me too many carbs in your other meals.
  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    weights: those are my one rep max and I've had my technique checked by several trainers.
    I don't agree that it's an excessive amount to lift safely. check this out (not me) http://ptcfrankston.com/the200club.html
    heck it's less than double body weight. I simply don' t have the weights to do anymore than 200kg.

    thanks again

    You are the one that raised the issue of safety, I stated I very rarely see it done with good technique and stand by that - my main 'baby' in the workplace is posture. The man in the first picture on that site is hyperextending his spine in order to stabilise the weight which puts extra strain on it. The second guy appears to have one foot turned out more than the other, third guy is holding his breath/ blocking. All inevitable, that is the sporting world, not health they are considered opposite ends of the spectrum. I sincerely admire the time and effort as with any sporting achievement, but I have to turn my back in the gym because I wince visibly at what too many heavy and power lifters do.
  • 2013james
    2013james Posts: 24
    @Firefox: That site was just one random example, probably a poor one, I have no association with them.
    I feel confident in my technique, but really I reached my goal and have no intention of breaking it.
    That wasn't the point of this, that was just to quantify my muscle I guess, and I thank you for your nutritional advice.

    @arleigh: I disagree about it being high carb/low protein. I rarely even get close to my recommended carb intake but usually meet or exceed in protein.. I need to increase the green/rough vegies. I'm not eating enough stuff like brocolli.

    @ALH1981: You are female and significantly smaller than me. I'm confident that my calorie burn is reasonably accurate and would be at least 3000, I do a lot of lifting in my job and other things that fitbit doesn't take into account. I have spoken to my doctor, a nutritionist and a friend that works in the "health" industry about this.

    @Bobby; no way. I love eating 'clean'. I've never enjoyed junk, and these days if I have any I notice just how crap it makes me feel.

    Thanks

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